Ann McLane Kuster

New Hampshire's 2nd

Ann McLane Kuster was first elected to the House of Representatives to represent New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District in November of 2012, and she was sworn into office on January 3, 2013. She came to Washington determined to put an end to the gridlock, and during her time in office she has established a record of working across the aisle to get things done for her constituents in the Granite State.

Prior to taking office, Annie served as a longtime community activist and adoption attorney who focused her career on increasing opportunity for Granite State families. A strong advocate for seniors, students, veterans, and women and their families, Annie has always been committed to fighting for the issues that matter most to Granite Staters, like increasing access to higher education and affordable health care, and cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government to ensure our taxpayer dollars are used wisely. Annie played a key role in creating New Hampshire’s UNIQUE College Savings Program to help parents save for their children’s education, as well as the Medication Bridge Program to provide medicine to low-income families.

Since taking office, Annie has prioritized efforts to facilitate the creation of good jobs and to increase economic opportunity for every New Hampshire family. Annie knows small businesses serve as the backbone of our local economy, and she’s visited dozens of businesses through her Congress At Your Company series. These visits helped inform the drafting of her 2014 Middle Class Jobs and Economic Opportunity Agenda, a blueprint of legislative proposals that Annie is pushing in Congress to help New Hampshire businesses grow and create more jobs. Additionally, she hosts a series of job fairs throughout the Second District, where Granite State job seekers and employers can meet and connect.

The daughter of a WWII veteran and prisoner of war, Annie is also dedicated to ensuring our nation’s veterans have the support they need to make a smooth and successful transition back to civilian life. As a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Annie has pushed a number of legislative initiatives to improve the lives of veterans across the country. In 2014, she helped lead the successful fight to pass comprehensive VA reform legislation to ensure every veteran can get timely access to the health care they need, and in 2015 she was selected to serve as Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In this position, Annie plays a lead role in overseeing the implementation of reforms at the VA, as well as identifying additional opportunities to protect taxpayers and improve services for veterans.

As a lifelong Granite Stater, Annie recognizes the importance of family farms and healthy forests to our economy. In Congress, she also serves on the House Agriculture Committee, where she has championed Granite State priorities like conserving natural resources, cutting wasteful subsidies, supporting organic farming, and fighting childhood hunger. During her first term in office, Annie helped pass into law a bipartisan Farm Bill that included many measures she championed, including provisions to support local Granite State farms, protect wildlife habitat, promote the domestic maple syrup industry, and invest in renewable energy. The Department of Agriculture has a broad jurisdiction over many federal programs, and Annie is focused on working with the USDA to foster economic growth in New Hampshire’s rural communities.

Annie is also committed to protecting the programs Granite State seniors count on, such as Medicare, Social Security, and medical research funding for diseases that affect older Americans. With her late mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease, Annie coauthored a book entitled “The Last Dance: Facing Alzheimer’s with Love and Laughter.” Before taking office, Annie and her father toured the state speaking out about Alzheimer’s Disease and the burdens it places on families and caregivers. In Congress, Annie has championed legislation both to increase funding for research on finding a cure to this deadly disease, and to provide vital support for caregivers who work full-time looking after their loved ones.

Annie graduated from Dartmouth College in 1978 as part of the College’s third class that included women students, and from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. Annie is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and before her election to Congress, she maintained a private adoption practice in which she helped hundreds of New Hampshire families adopt children.

Annie was born and raised in Concord, New Hampshire. Annie’s late mother, former State Senator Susan McLane, was a pioneer for women in New Hampshire politics. Her late father, Malcolm McLane, was Mayor of Concord, a New Hampshire Executive Councilor, and one of the state’s most prominent attorneys for over 50 years.

Annie and her husband Brad, an environmental lawyer, now live nearby in Hopkinton where they raised their two sons, Zach and Travis.